Canadian Science News
Ocean Research Helped by Big Donation
A Nova Scotian billionaire donated $25 million towards one research project, focusing on the ocean, at Dalhousie University. $93.7 million will be contributed by the federal government as well.
CBC News Nova Scotia reports that it is a “seven-year Ocean Frontier Institute project” with a total of $220 million being invested into its research program. Scott Brison, President of the Treasury Board of Canada, said, “Today’s announcement will demonstrate to Canadians and to the world that, in Canada, science is back.”
The Ocean Frontier Institute will have collaborations between international scientists and students. “Prime Minister Trudeau committed that as … a government we would elevate science and evidence-based decision making and we are fulfilling his commitment with action,” Brison said.
University of Saskatchewan gets more than $77 million for water research
According to CBC News Saskatoon, University of Saskatchewan is receiving “more than $77 million” for research into various issues around water throughout Canada from the federal government. The money will be for Global Water Futures.
Global Water Futures studies water quality, droughts, and floods. The University of Saskatchewan has stated that this is the biggest grant for research on water in history. Aspects of the study will look into management of water threats, water consumption reduction, and Indigenous water quality issues.
Peter Stoicheff, President of the University of Saskatchewan, said, “The University of Saskatchewan and its many national and international partners will transform the way communities, governments and industries in Canada and other cold regions of the world prepare for and manage water-related threats?”
Stem-cell doctor scandal gets 2 Nobel prize judges dismissed
According to CBC News Health, the awarding panel for the Nobel Prize in medicine is dismissing two judges, who have been caught in a scandal because of a “disgraced” stem cell scientist, Dr. Paolo Macchiarini. Harriet Wallberg and Anders Hamset are being dismissed from the panel. The stem cell scientist was from Stockholm’s Karolinska Institute. The panel consists of 50 members. The Nobel Prize in medicine will be announced next month. Both dismissed judges have left their jobs at the Karolinska Institute because of the criticism and the management of the scientific misconduct.
Dr. Macchiarini was considered a “pioneer in windpipe translants.” Now, he was fired because of falsifications in his resume and misrepresentation of professional work by him. He is being investigated for involuntary manslaughter because of two patients that died. He has disputed the charges.
A native British Columbian, Scott Douglas Jacobsen is an AU undergrad and AUSU Councillor. He researches and runs In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal, and In-Sight Publishing.
Originally published at www.voicemagazine.org on September 9, 2016.
